UncommonIntroducedStocked
10
Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss · Salmonidae
Year-round cold-water quarry. Tailwater gold.
Common
10–16 in
Max
30+ in
Weight
Up to 19 lbs (state)
Best Bite Windows
When rainbow trout feeds · time-of-day read
Right now · 12:00 PM · MIDD window
GOOD70%feeding activity
First & last light · power bait
24-hour bite curvetaller = more feeding · scrub the clock
12a6a12p6p12a
DAWN
72
MORN
83
MIDD
71
AFTE
79
DUSK
46
NIGH
30
Daylight feeder · hatch-dependent
Solar + LunarLOW-MED lunar pull
Major feeds7:48p – 9:48p5:05a – 7:05a
Minor feeds5:25a – 6:25a7:57p – 8:57p
Solunar window 8:03p – 9:33p
Full Moon
Day · Generation schedule dominates in tailwaters. Focus on post-generation feeding windows when flows stabilize.
Night · Minimal lunar advantage. Tailwater flows and temperature determine feeding activity — check generation schedule.
Tailwater · Generation schedule overrides lunar influence. Quigley et al. confirmed solunar tables fail to predict CPUE in tailwater trout fisheries.
Habitat
TailwatersStreamsCold lakes
Range
Below dams: Bull Shoals, Norfork, Beaver, Greers.
Diet
Sow bugs, midges, scuds, small baitfish.
Tackle box · top lures
Top picks · Winter pattern
1
1/8oz White Spinner (silver blade)
with silver blade
Flash triggers reaction strikes in moving water.
AGFC2
White Rooster Tail 1/16oz (inline spinner)
inline spinner
Fan cast creek mouths. Steady retrieve.
AGFC
Lures from AGFC reports + species data — verify regs at agfc.com/fishing.
Ready-to-fish boxes for Rainbow Trout
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Tale Waters & Tides
The home water for Arkansas anglers
Pocket Fishing Guide is powered by Tale Waters & Tides — gear, guides, and the stories behind the water. Plan your next trip with us.
How to fish it · techniques
Match the generation schedule
Drift with current
Smaller is better
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Rileys White & Buffalo Outfitter
Your White & Buffalo River outfitter
Guided float trips, canoe & kayak rentals, and riverside cabins on the White and Buffalo rivers.
Fun fact
Every rainbow in Arkansas is stocked. The tailwaters below Bull Shoals stay cold enough year-round to support trout — a freshwater miracle in the South.
Status
Stocked
Introduced · Salmonidae
Regulations
Bull Shoals Tailwater Catch-and-Release Zone · From Bull Shoals Dam downstream to Rim Shoals
0 per day
AGFC regulations Bull Shoals Tailwater Standard Trout Regulations · From Rim Shoals downstream — standard trout regulations apply
9″ min length5 per day
AGFC regulations Norfork Tailwater Trout Regulations · Entire Norfork tailwater reach below Norfork Dam to White River confluence
9″ min length5 per day
AGFC regulations Little Red River Tailwater Special Trout Regulations · Little Red River below Greers Ferry Dam to Hwy 16 bridge
9″ min length5 per day
AGFC regulations Spring River Trout Regulations · Spring River from Mammoth Spring to Hardy
9″ min length5 per day
AGFC regulations Always confirm current size & daily limits with AGFC before keeping fish.